Islamabad: CDA to open Liver Transplant Centre soon

[Naveed Yaseen]

Capital Development Authority (Health Services) Senior Director Dr. Saeed Ahmed has said that the authority would soon establish first ever Liver Transplant Centre in the country.

Addressing a seminar titled ‘Am I No.12’ here on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, he informed many countries have offered assistance to Pakistan for the establishment of Liver Transplant Centre.

The Director Health observed, despite a nuclear power of the world Pakistan had still no Lever Transplantation Centre, adding that while all the important countries of region like India Saudi Arabia etc had the centres. He said, Iran has offered the country to provide refreshment course for liver transplant faculty.

Dr. Saeed said that every year on May 19 World Hepatitis Day is observed with the view to focus the attention of the world on Hepatitis B and C which are the major threats to global health as Hepatitis B and C have become an epidemic in the whole world.

He pointed out that Hepatitis B and C are silent killers and every one could be infected for many years without knowing it.

Presently in Pakistan, there are 15 million people suffering from Hepatitis out of which 20% need liver transplant, he added.

Dr. Saeed Ahmed, informed that Hepatitis means ‘liver inflammation’, which is often caused by a virus, adding that although there are five completely different viruses that cause hepatitis (A, B, C, D & E), B and C are the only two that can become chronic, causing long-term illness.

He said that it is estimated that more than 500 million people around the world are currently infected with hepatitis B or C and one in three people have been exposed to one or both viruses. He said that hepatitis B virus is spread through direct contact with infected blood as well as most major body fluids, including blood, semen, sweat, tears and the hepatitis C virus is spread through direct contact with infected blood. He said, “We could save our self by avoiding above said things and taking relatively precautionary measures.”

Dr. Saeed stressed that to save the people of Pakistan, it is the right time to create awareness among the general public to take precautionary and preventive measures.

He said the Directorate of Health Services is constantly and vigorously perusing this issue on different forums and it has also launched different campaigns/programmes to create awareness about the precaution and prevention of Hepatitis B & C. He urged especially the media persons to play a vital role to create awareness among people. Professor Brig. (Retd) Masood Siddique of Roche Pakistan in its presentation about the Hepatitis visually explained the audience, the Hepatitis infection, effects on liver stages and its treatment.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=178508